US3148504A

US3148504A - Gas turbine engines

Info

Publication number: US3148504A
Application number: US191602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Keen John Michael Storer
Original assignee: Rolls Royce PLC
Current assignee: Rolls Royce PLC
Priority date: 1961-05-04
Filing date: 1962-05-01
Publication date: 1964-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-15

Description

Sept. 15, 1964 Y J. M. s. KEEN 3,148,594

GAS TURBINE ENGINES Filed May 1, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 h winter wwsa y W A tlorneya Sept. 15, 1964 J. M. s. KEEN GAS TURBINE ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1', 1962 Attorneys Se t. 15, 1964 J. M. s. KEEN GAS TURBINE ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 1, 1962 Attorneys United States Patent 3,148,504 GAS TURBINE ENGINES John Michael Storcr Keen, Allestree, England, assignor to ll toils-Royce Limited, Derby, England Filed May 1,1962, Ser. No, 191,602 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 4, 1961 i 13 Claims. (Cl. 60'-39.31)

This invention relates to gas turbine engines.

According to the present invention a gas turbine engine includes at one end of the engine a central fairing or bullet supported from an outer casing or wall by one or more struts which extend across an annular space formed between the casing or wall and the fairing or bullet, said fairing or, bullet and/or said struts being formed in two or more pieces detachable from each other so that when at least one piece is removed access is given to the interior of the fairing or bullet and/or each strut.

Preferably each strut is divided so as to form a leading edge portion and a separate trailing edge portion and the fairing or bullet is divided so as to form a front or nose portion and a separate near portion.

The leading edge portion of each strut is preferably formed as an integral part of the front or nose portion of the fairing or bullet and the trailing edge portion is formed as an integral part of the rear portion of the fairing or bullet.

The outer end of each leading edge portion of each strut is preferably detachably mounted on the casing or wall.

The abutting edges of the leading and trailing edge portions of the struts and the abutting edges of the front or nose portion andrear portion of the fairing or bullet may be provided with sealing means to prevent air or gas flowing into the interior of the struts and fairing or bullet.

The sealing means may comprise a sealing strip secured to either the detachable portions or said fixed portions and extending beyond the edges of the surfaces which abut the other portions, the edge of said strip which extends beyond said abutting surfaces being received between the internal surface of the other portions and a surface provided on a further sealing strip secured to the other portions.

Preferably the sealing means comprises a sealing strip secured to the detachable portions and extending beyond the edges. of the surfaces which abut the fixed portions, the edge of said strip which extends beyond said abutting surfaces being received. between the internal surface of the fixed portions and a surface provided on a further sealing strip secured to the fixed portion.

Preferably the central fairing or bullet is situated in the air intake leading to a compressor system of the engine, units such as the fuel control unit and starter motor unit for said engine being housed within said fairing or bullet, conduits leading to and from said units extending through said struts, said leading edge portions of the struts and said front or nose portion of said fairing being removable to give access to said units and conduits.

In one particular arrangement the front or nose portion of the fairing is secured by studs and nuts to said starter or fuel control unit.

The fairing or bullet, struts and casing or wall may be formed from fibres of glass or asbestos impregnated with phenolic or epoxy resins. The leading edge of the struts may be strengthened by a foamed synthetic resinous material located between the inner surface of the leading edge and the sealing strips secured to the leading edge portion.

The gas turbine engine may be a vertically mounted engine whose propulsive gas stream is directed vertically $348,504 Patented Sept. 15, 1954 fairing and struts shown in FIGURE 1, sealing means;

being omitted for clarity,

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to the one shown in FIG- URE 3 showing the sealing means, but omitting the starter and fuel control units for clarity,

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line 55 indicated on FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 6 indicated on FIGURE 4.

The gas turbine engine shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises an axial flow compressor 10 which receives, air from an air intake 11 and supplies compressed air to combustion equipment 12 where fuel from injectors 13 is burned in the air, the products of combustion pass to a turbine 14 to drive it before passing to atmosphere through a propulsion nozzle 15; The turbine 14 drives the compressor 10 through a shaft 16.

The intake 11 comprises a central fairing 17 which is supported from an outer wall 18" by two struts 19.

Mounted within the fairing 17 is a starter motor unit 20' and a fuel control unit 21 which supplies fuel to the injectors 13 through conduits 22 which pass through the struts 19. i

As will be seen more clearly from FIGURES 3 to 6 the fairing 17 is divided into a front portion 17a and a rear portion 17b. Each strut 19 isdivided into a leading edge portion 19a and a trailing edge portion 19b. The leading edge portions 1a are formed as an integral part of the front portion 17a. and the trailing edgeportions are formed as an integralpart of the rear portion 17b.

When the parts are assembled the leading and trailing edge portions 1%, 19b and the front and rear portions 17a, 17bv abut each other on surfaces indicated at 23.

In order to prevent air within the intake 11 passing into the'interior of the struts 1h and fairing 17 the surfaces 23 are sealed by sealingmeans 24 (FIGURES 4 and 5). In these figures the

units

20, 21 have been omitted for clarity. The seal 24 comprises a sealing strip 25 which is secured to the leading edge portions 19a and the front, portion 17a. The strips 25 extend beyond the surfaces 23. Secured to the trailing edge portions 19b are sealing strips 26 which have portions 26a which diverge from the internal surface of the portions 1%. The portions of the strips 25 which extend beyond the surfaces 23 are received between the portions 26a and the internal surface of the portions 1%.

Instead of securing the sealing strip 25 to the leading edge portion 19a it may be carried by thetrailing edge portion 1% so as to have a portion extending forwardly beyond the surfaces 23. In such an arrangement the sealing strips 25 are carried by the leading edge portions 19a. This arrangement has the advantage that the gas flow acts on the overlapping portions in a direction urging them together.

The leading edge of the portions 19:: may be strengthened by having a foamed synthetic resinous material located between the inner surface of the portion 19a and the sealing strips 26.

Secured to the rear portion 17b of the fairing 17 is a sealing ring 27 and the front edge of the ring overlaps the strips 25.

The outer end of the trailing edge portions 1% of the struts 19 are secured to the outer wall 18, and the leading edge of the wall 18 is provided with a mounting block 28 to which is secured a member 29 secured to the outer end of each leading edge portion 19b. The mounting block 23 and the member 29 are secured together by set screws 30.

As will be seen more clearly from FIGURE 3 the front portion 17a of the fairing is secured to the starter motor unit 20 by nuts 31 which engage with studs 32. The fuel control unit 21 is secured to fixed structure by means not shown.

In order to remove the front portion 17a and the leading edge portions 19a the set screws 30 and the nuts 31 are removed allowing the portions 17a and 19a to be moved axially to the left as viewed in the drawings. When the portions 17a, 19a have been removed access is given to the

units

20, 21 and also the conduits 22.

What we claim is:

1. In a gas turbine engine having an outer casing enclosing compressor means, combustion means, and turbine means: a central fairing at one end of the engine, at least one strut extending across an annular space formed between the casing and the central fairing for supporting the central fairing from the outer casing, said fairing and said at least one strut each being formed in at least two pieces detachable from each other so that when at least one piece is removed, access is given to the interior of the fairing and the strut.

2. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 1 in which said two pieces which form said central fairing define a nose portion and a separate rear portion and in which said two pieces which form said strut define a leading edge portion and a separate trailing edge portion.

3. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 2 in which said leading edge portion of said strut is formed as an integral part of said nose portion of said central fairing and said trailing edge portion of said strut is formed as an integral part of said rear portion of said central fairing.

4. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 2 including means for detachably connecting said leading edge portion of said strut at its outer end to said casing.

5. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 2 including sealing means between abutting edges of said leading edge portion and said trailing edge portion of said struts and between abutting edges of said nose portion and said rear portion of said central fairing for preventing flow of fluid into the interior of said strut and said central fairing.

6. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim in which said sealing means includes a sealing strip secured to one of said leading portion and said trailing portion of said strut and to one of said nose portion and said rear portion of said central fairing and extending beyond the abutting edges of said leading portion and trailing portion of the strut and said nose portion and rear portion of said central fairing, and a second sealing strip secured to the other of said leading portion and said trailing portion of said strut and to the other of said nose portion and said rear portion of said central fairing for receiving said first-mentioned sealing strip between the same and the internal surface of the other of said leading portion and trailing portion of said strut and the other of said nose portion and rear portion of said central fairing.

7. In a gas turbine engine having an outer casing enclosing compressor means, combustion means, and turbine means: a central fairing at one end of the engine, at least one strut extending across an annular space formed between the casing and the central fairing for supporting the central fairing from the outer casing, said central fairing being formed of a nose portion and a separate rear portion detachable from each other, and said strut being formed from a leading edge portion and a separate trailing edge portion detachable from each other, said leading edge portion of said strut being formed integral with said nose portion of said central fairing and said trailing edge portion of said strut being formed integral with said rear portion of said central fairing whereby removal of the leading edge portion of said strut and the nose portion of said central fairing gives access to the interior of said strut and said fairing, and sealing means between abutting edges of said leading edge portion and said trailing edge portion of said strut and said nose portion and rear portion of said fairing whereby fluid is prevented from flowing into the interior of said strut and said central fairing.

8. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 7 in which said sealing means includes a sealing strip secured to one of said leading edge portions and trailing edge portions of said strut and to said nose portion and said rear portion of said central fairing, said strip extending beyond abutting surfaces between the portions, and a second sealing strip secured to the other portions of said strut and said central fairing for receiving the first-mentioned sealing strip between the same and the internal surface of the other portions.

9. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 8 in which said leading edge portion of said strut and said nose portion of said central fairing are detachable from said trailing edge portion of said strut and said rear portion of said fairing and wherein said first-mentioned sealing strip is connected to said detachable leading edge portion of said strut and said nose portion of said central fairing and wherein said second sealing strip is secured to the other portions of said strut and said central fairing.

10. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 7 in which said leading edge portion of said strut is strengthened by a foam synthetic resinous material located between the inner surface of said leading edge and said sealing means.

11. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 7 in which said central fairing and said strut are positioned at the inlet end of the engine, and including fuel control means positioned in said central fairing and conduits leading to and from said fuel control means extending through said strut.

12. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 11 in which said nose portion is secured to said fuel control means by studs and ducts.

13. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 7 in which said casing and said strut and said central fairing are formed from fibers impregnated with resins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,622,789 Lundquist Dec. 23, 1952

Claims

1. IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE HAVING AN OUTER CASING ENCLOSING COMPRESSOR MEANS, COMBUSTION MEANS, AND TURBINE MEANS: A CENTRAL FAIRING AT ONE END OF THE ENGINE, AT LEAST ONE STRUT EXTENDING ACROSS AN ANNULAR SPACE FORMED BETWEEN THE CASING AND THE CENTRAL FIARING FOR SUPPORTING THE CENTRAL FAIRING FROM THE OUTER CASING, SAID FAIRING AND SAID AT LEAST ONE STRUT EACH BEING FORMED IN AT LEAST TWO PIECES DETACHABLE FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT WHEN AT LEAST ONE PIECE IS REMOVED, ACCESS IS GIVEN TO THE INTERIOR OF THE FAIRING AND THE STRUT.